Friday, February 27, 2009

Here we go

Here we (Here we) Here we (Here we) Here we (Here we)

Here f&^*ing gooooo!

Are listening to Glasvegas yet?

This is not a music blog. I'm not spending time recommending new albums, directing you toward the stars of tomorrow or telling what I'm listening to while I write this. But I tell you what ... That Glasvegas record is something else. In particular, the track that is currently responsible for getting me really, really, really fired up? It's called "Go, Square, Go." Now, I'm no square, I'll tell you that straight away, but know this much - the last minute and a half of that song will be sung the second Arsenal take the lead against Fulham tomorrow morning.

Teams must start with defense. And, as Sir Alex Jintao promptly reminded us this week , Arsenal haven't exactly made a habit of buying defenders. But looky here ... Arsenal have been keeping clean sheets. Kolo Toure and William Gallas are not just getting along, they're playing exceptionally well together and Denilson, for all of his "he's not ready" woes, has been paying more attention to tracking back.

All this as we bring in Wonder-Footballer Andrei Arshavin and Robin Van Persie is grabbing the reigns of team that's been dead out-of-order all year. Note the rather substantial absence of the rest of the midfield beyond Samir Nasri. The goals haven't been coming, but make no mistake, they will. And that little trick from Arsene Wenger's tactical mind might just bring some of them tomorrow, although I'd like to see Nasri stick out left and bring Arshavin in support in order to slot Eboue on the right in the stead of Bendtner. Of course, knowing Arsene, he'll likely stick with Bendtner to keep him going (the boy surely doesn't need confidence though, does he?). And a final of course, I have gotten all worked up every Friday this season only to be let down with imprecise finishing, but this is football. Innit?

Tomorrow, let's look for this:

Van Persie up front with Arshavin in support. Nasri wide left with Eboue left to the right. That's right, Eboue. I'd like to see him get back out there this weekend. Song and Denilson in the middle (probably the slowest I've ever typed six words as I struggle to both admit and live with that fact for the time being) (sidebar: suck it Fergie, just you watch, this team is going to enter an orbit your preening lot could only dream of when it's fully fit.)

Across the back it's the standard set with Clichy and Sagna at left and right back, Gallas and Toure in the middle in front of Bad Guy Almunia in goal.

Ohhh, just realized something I've yet to mention on Match Pricks. When Manual Almunia came back with platinum blonde hair and that shadow beard a while back, he clearly resembled your archetypal Bad Guy. You know, the kind capable of tying a damsel to a train track. Right, that kind.

So whenever ol' Manuel pulls out a shining example of goalkeeping, those of us gathered at the football pub to watch, agonize and try to have fun belt out, "BAD GUY ALMUNIA, BAD GUY ALMUNIA...." you get the picture. I'd tell you, "to the tune of," but I can't come up with it.